Despair
by FirstFandomFangirl
Summary: When Morro leaves his Sensei behind to search for the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master, he finds someone he doesn't expect: Wu's brother. A headcanon of how Morro ended up in the Cursed Realm, inspired by a theory on YouTube.
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings, readers, and welcome to my newwwww story! This story is based on a theory I saw on Youtube. I can't give you a link because a. fanfiction won't let me and b. I don't remember where it was. Oh well. So, unlike my previous stories, this probably won't have any OCs in it. And if there are, they will be minor characters.**

 **Well, let the reading commence!  
**

* * *

Chapter 1

Morro tied a knot in the bundle of cloth and attatched it to his staff, a serious expression on his young face.

"Please, Morro, don't do this." his mentor, Sensei Wu, said from behind him. "It is impossible."

"Then maybe when I find it you will believe me." Morro turned around to face the man stubbornly as he hefted the staff onto his shoulder. "I _am_ the green ninja."

"Destiny says you are not." Wu shook his head. "And you cannot find my father's tomb."

"I can. And nothing you can say will stop me." Brushing past the older man, Morro left the room into the hall outside, not surprised to hear his Sensei following him.

"My father left no clue." Wu continued. "I have searched and searched. But there is nothing."

"I don't need a clue." Morro exited the monastery into the cortyard. He felt a pang of regret as he walked towards the gate, his footsteps echoing off the walls around the yard. This was the only place he could call home. And he was leaving it. Not permanently, he reminded himself. Only until he found the tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master, and proven himself worthy of the green gi. As he pushed the gate open, he heard Wu speaking softly behind him.

"I will leave the gate open, should you decide to return." Morro paused, staring at the stairs in front of him.

"Not until I find the tomb." he said firmly, and started on his way down the mountain.

Despair

Lord Garmadon stood in front of his master, Chen, his mind racing. Why had Chen called him here? Was he in trouble? Or was he being rewarded? Chen simply sat on his throne, smiling calmly. It made Garmadon uncomfortable. Was he supposed to say something?

"You sent for me?" the dark-haired man spoke up at last.

"Yes." Chen replied in his high-pitched, scratchy voice. It was annoying. "I have a... mission, for you." he said with a superior smile. That was also annoying.

"And?" Garmadon asked as the silence lengthened.

"I recently aquired a book of dark spells. Do you remember that?" Chen asked, his face growing serious. At Garmadon's nod, he continued. "So I was looking through it the other day and found a spell that could prove very useful to me. I'm sure you've noticed that Clouse has been learning dark arts." Garmadon nodded again as he glanced at his fellow student, who was standing in the doorway on the far side of the room. "The spell requires a few important things, though. Specifically, all the elemental powers." Garmadon blinked. _All_ the elemental powers?

"To obtain all those could take years." he pointed out.

"I know that." Chen rolled his eyes. "Which is why we need to get started now. So far I only have one."

"Skylor's." Garmadon said, referring to Chen's daughter. Sadly, Chen's wife had passed away not long ago.

"Right. There are a total of 22 elemental powers that I know of. This," Chen held up a blue staff with a gold disk on it. There was a dull white crystal mounted behind the disk. "is the Staff of Elements. It has the power to take the elemental powers from an elemental master. This is what you will be using on your mission."

"You wish for me to collect the elemental powers?" Garmadon took a step forward, taking the staff that was held out to him. "How does it work?"

"Simple. When you come near an elemental master, mentally command the staff to take their element. It's like an extension of your mind." Chen shrugged. "Pack some food or something and go. Right now." Garmadon nodded obediently and left the room, passing Clouse on his way out.

"Jealous?" the dark lord asked the dark arts student, who snorted and looked away. Apparently so. With a smug smile, Garmadon walked away down the hall towards his room to prepare for the journey.

* * *

 **This story takes place around the time Morro left Sensei Wu to find the tomb of the First Spinjitzu master, if you haven't guessed.**

 **Reviews would be appreciated. ^ ^**

 **~FFF**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welp, anozer wuvewy chaptair.**

 **Review Repliez:**

 **Shadowselen: Well I hope so. :)**

 **Windy: Garmadon's not quite a teenager, but he's still pretty young. ^ ^ Yeah, young Garmadon looks almost exactly like Lloyd, just different hair and paler skin.**

 **Samantha: *points to title of story* The caves of what now? Yeah, I know. I did do some research for this story.**

 **ShinyShiny: Aww, thanks! :D**

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Chapter 2

Morro stood on a sidewalk in Ninjago City, feeling overwhelmed. He had never been in such a busy place before. He had been in the city, usually hiding, before, but he stayed in the alleys. A homeless boy wasn't welcome on the streets. But now he wasn't a homeless boy. He was the future Green Ninja. With this thought spurring him on, he set off down the street in search of a library. If there were any clues for where the tomb was, it would probably be there.

Despair

Garmadon walked down the street of Ninjago City, carrying the staff in a large case beside him. He didn't want people seeing him carry around a large, magical-looking staff. It would arouse suspicion. How did one find elemental masters, he wondered? Ask around? That might seem suspicious, though. Why would he say he wanted them? He wanted to throw them a party? No, that was lame. Garmadon rejected that idea immidiently. Wu knew a couple of elemental masters, Fire and Water. But he didn't know where they were, and it wasn't like he could ask _Wu_. The only elemental master he knew, other than Wu's friends, was the Master of Wind, Austin. They had met about a year ago, about a month before he had started training under Chen. He hadn't seen him since. He remembered him well, though. Pale skin, black, curly hair with a curious green streak in it. Austin was cheerful and humorous, and very fun to be around. Garmadon would be sorry to steal his element. As he rounded the corner, the dark lord stopped short as he saw a familiar figure exiting the library ahead. Familiar, but not someone he knew. Garmadon frowned at the teenage boy as he stalked across the pavement, a frusterted look on his face. Black hair, pale skin, green streak. He must be related to the Wind Master in some way. Maybe his son? Did that mean he had the element too? Could there be two people with the same element? Garmadon crossed the street and approached the young man.

"You! Boy!" he called. The boy glanced over his shoulder at him and stopped, turning to face him.

"What?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

"What is your name?" Garmadon asked.

"What's it to you?" the boy turned back around and kept walking. Garmadon sighed and followed him.

"What were you doing in the library?" he asked as he caught up to the young man.

"Reading books."

"Why?"

"I was looking for something." the boy shot him an annoyed look. "Why?"

"You remind me of someone I knew. Who was your father?"

"I don't know!" the boy paused and closed his dark green eyes. "None of your business." he muttered a moment later, opening his eyes. "Why do you care? I don't even know you."

"I'm Garmadon." Garmadon introduced himself. The boy stared at him flatly for a few moments before saying,

"I'm Morro." Morro. Intresting name. Though, his was nothing ordinary either.

"What were you looking for in the library?"

"A tomb. The tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master." This piqued Garmadon's curiosity. Why would someone be looking for his father's tomb?

"Why?"

"To prove myself to my sensei, Wu."

" _Wu_?!" Garmadon's mouth dropped open.

"Yes." Morro looked at him in confusion.

"Wu is my brother." Garmadon murmured, processing the infromation. His brother was a Sensei now? This was a surprising turn of events. "Are you an elemental master?"

"Yes. Of wind." Morro seemed to trust him more, now that he knew that he was related to his sensei. "Sensei said that I might be the green ninja, but destiny says I'm not. I have to find the tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master to prove myself." Garmadon frowned, his face darkening. The green ninja. He had heard the legend. The green ninja was destined to defeat the dark lord. The problem was, _he_ might be that dark lord. He was a lord, the title given to him by Chen. And the Devourer's venom in his veins changed his thoughts and feelings, making him, in a sense, dark. If Morro was the green ninja, he might someday kill him. He needed to do something about that.

"I might know something about the location of the tomb." Garmadon said, a smile growing slowly across his face as a plan formed in his mind.

"Really?" Morro's face lit up as he met Garmadon's eyes.

"Yep." the dark lord nodded.

"Can you take me there? Where is it?" the teenager asked excitedly.

"It's in the Caves of Despair."

* * *

 **That first paragraph though... so short. :P Oh well. Hope you enjoyed this, y'all!**

 **~FFF**


	3. Chapter 3

**Something I forgot to mention last chapter: Austin's kiiiiiiiiiinda an OC. So I guess I own him. I needed an excuse for Garmadon to approach Morro, and so, Austin was born. I doubt he'll ever show up. In any of my stories. So yeah.**

 **Review replies:**

 **TheFireNinja: No, nothing good. *shakes head sadly* The serpentine? Nope. Well, maybe. But not as a major part of the story.**

 **MMM: This will pretty much follow canon.**

 **Petal: It's sad, and it's true. :(**

 **Angel: Everything regarding Morro's parentage is headcanon. *shrugs***

 **Samantha: No problem. And thanks, I was rather proud of that myself. ^ ^**

 **Shadowselen: There are a lot of his thoughts in this chapter.**

 **Leb: So sneaky. It will go on to at least Morro's death, and then maybe a little further for what happened afterwards for both him and Garmadon. No worries, I will indeed be writing a sequel for RttCR. Maybe a sequel to that, too. ^ ^**

 **LET ZE READING COMMENCE**

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Chapter 3

Garmadon tightened the straps on his backpack once more and glanced at Morro beside him. The two had stocked up on provisions and supplies at a small shop before starting on their way to the Caves of Despair. They were currently walking along a rarely-used footpath in the desert that led to the caves, where he planned to get rid of Morro. How, he wasn't sure. Probably just wander around for a while until he was lost and knock him out and steal his element, then take the food and leave. Hopefully he would starve to death before he got out. But no, he could hypothetically escape and still be the green ninja. He needed to find some way to kill him for certain. There were a couple spells he had seen Clouse perform enough that he could probably cast them. Maybe one of those would come in handy.

"What are you thinking about?" he snapped out of his thoughts to see Morro studying his face curiously.

"Our route." Garmadon said quickly. "The, uh, Caves of Despair are an immense labyrinth. Fortunately, I've studied them and know the way we need to go."

"I hope so." Morro turned back to the path. "Sensei never told me he had a brother."

"I left a few years ago." Garmadon glanced at the sun. It was about midday. "We never really got along. He probably doesn't care."

"Hmm. Where did you go?"

"To train under another Sensei, one named Chen." Garmadon self-consciously shifted the case with the staff. "I, uh, left. He's rather... crazy."

"What's in that case?" Morro glanced at it and Garmadon mentally groaned. He was hoping he wouldn't ask that.

"Uh... something. Nothing of importance." Morro didn't seem to believe him, but he left it at that. They walked in silence for a long time before the teenager spoke up again.

"How far is it to the caves?"

"About fifty miles from here. If we move fast we should be there by tomorrow morning." the dark lord replied. Morro nodded and was silent. They walked for a few hours in silence, Garmadon silently planning Morro's demise. He had, unfortunately, neglected to bring any weapons but a small knife that was really intended for cutting food. Perhaps he could catch Morro off guard and steal his element, then use it against him. Chen did say the wielder of the staff commanded any elements it had absorbed, right? That would make the battle easy. After all, any student of _Wu_ 's couldn't be that hard to defeat, right? As the sun started to vanish over the horizon, Garmadon thought he could see the faint outline of the caves in the distance. This mission shouldn't take too long. What element should he get next? Wu's friends, probably. Fire and water... that would be intresting. Could a Master of Water create an infinite amount of their element? If so, he could hypothetically flood the world. Fun.

"What are you thinking about now?" Garmadon blinked and frowned at Morro's voice.

"Why?" he asked.

"You have a strange smile on your face." Morro replied. Garmadon made a mental note to keep his expression neutral.

"Oh, ah, I was just thinking about how, uh, fun it must be to be an elemental master." he blurted. "What sort of things can you do with the element of wind?" he added after a moment out of curiosity.

"Pick things up without touching them. Throw people into walls. Fly." Flying sounded fun. He would have to try that when he got that element. "We should stop for the night soon." Morro said after a moment. "It's getting dark."

"Are you tired?" Garmadon asked, a teasing tone at the edge of his voice.

"No." Morro glared at him. " _You_ look tired."

"Well I'm not." Garmadon said defiantly. He was aware that he sounded like a child, but he didn't care. He was also lying about not being tired, but he wasn't going to admit that. "You're right, though. We should make camp. Even though niether of us are tired, we should get plenty of rest for exploring the caves tomorrow."

"Right." Morro pointed to a large rock jutting out at an angle from the desert ahead. "We can take shelter there." Garmadon nodded and the conversation was over. The two set up camp below the rock, and, after a quick meal, Garmadon went to sleep on the sand.

Despair

Morro leaned against the grey-brown spire that rose out of the desert, staring up at the endless stars in the perfectly clear sky. It reminded him of the view from the monastery. Thinking of the monastery made a pang of homesickness go through him. Even though he continued telling himself that he would be back soon, he still missed Sensei and his home. It was a rash decision, leaving the monastery. He was almost starting to regret it. But then he reminded himself of his quest. He _had_ to prove himself. He had to be the green ninja. Morro turned his head towards Garmadon, who was asleep on the ground. He wasn't sure what he thought about the man. He was apparently Sensei's brother, but didn't act anything like him. And his eyes... most of the time they were soft green, but occasionally, when he was deep in thought, they flashed glowing red. He seemed a bit nervous, stuttering occasionally and sounding like he was making things up. Maybe that was how he always sounded. He had, after all, barely known him for a day. Morro looked off into the distance, trying to spot the caves on the horizon. He had seen something there earlier, right before the sun had gone down. But it was too dark to see anything now. There was no moon. Excitement welled inside him at the thought of finding the tomb. He hadn't thought he would find it so fast. Meeting Garmadon had been a stroke of luck. Though, now that he thought about it... why was Garmadon helping him? They barely knew each other. He was just someone that he had run into on the street. What did he say...? Right. He said that Morro reminded him of someone. And asked who his father was. He seemed even more excited when he heard that he was an elemental master. He was confusing, alright. As long as he got him to the First Spinjitzu Master's tomb, it didn't matter. Morro looked back at the stars, all the walking he had done that day finally starting to take effect. Within minutes, he was asleep against the rock.

* * *

 **Well, they get along moderately well.**

 **A random story:**

 **Me and Ally: *having a conversation about Ninjago*  
Me: ...and Kai just got his powers back, so he made the realm crystal really hot and threw it to Morro, who caught it but dropped it because it was really hot, then-  
Ally: Wait, why did the ninja lose their powers again?  
Me: Um, well, let's see. You remember how they had to give their powers to Lloyd so he could have his golden power?  
Ally: Yeah.  
Me: Well, after Lloyd beat the Overlord they lost their elemental blades somehow and couldn't use their powers again.  
Ally: Okay.  
Me: So then Lloyd had golden power for about half of the Rebooted season, then he gave it up for regular green power so the ninja could have their powers back. But for some reason their powers were still linked to Lloyd. So when he got possessed by Morro, Morro was controlling Lloyd's powers and the ninja couldn't use theirs. Or something.  
Ally: Right.  
Me: And whenever Morro wasn't possessing Lloyd, he had him in a Vengestone cage.  
Ally: a WHAT?  
Me: A Vengestone cage. Vengestone is a rock that neutralizes elemental powers.  
Ally: I know what Vengestone is. The first time I just thought you said "he had him in a vending machine".  
Me: WHAT HAHAHAHAAHAHAAAA  
Ally: HAHAHAHAHAAA  
Me: HAHAHAHA  
Ally: "CAN I COME INTO THE OUT NOW?"  
Me: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA**

 **"Can I come into the out now" is a quote from the movie "Home". But yeah, that was funny. :D**

 **~FFF**


	4. Chapter 4

**Le long dramatic chapterrrr**

 **Review replies:**

 **Petal: Oh ghost, poor Lloyd. (Lloyd: Hey, ninja chips!)**

 **MMM: Eeeehhhhh... I wouldn't count on that. ^ ^'**

 **Samantha: Nope. Won't take that long.**

 **TheFireNinja: *shakes head slowly* Garmadon is so... destructive, sometimes. Chen's a nutcase. xD It's weird that I like torturing Morro so much in my fanfictions, since he's my favorite character. I blame my messed-up brain. And yes, the ninja in a vending machine is hilarious.**

 **Shadowselen: Friends is stretching it.**

 **Count Raptor: Whatever you say, loyal reader.**

 **Nurse Medusa: I'm glad. ^ ^**

 **Windy: They would probably get along better if Garmadon wasn't secretly plotting to kill Morro... :P Yes, Lord Garmadon + Evil Morro = BAD. Yeah, Ally is so funny. ^ ^**

 **I think I'm getting more violent when I write. Last year I wrote an original story about talking cats in which the most the characters got hurt was when one of the cats sprained his leg. And he got healed when another cat randomly obtained magic healing powers ten minutes later. And now I'm writing BLOOD and BROKEN BONES and MEMORY LOSS and all sorts of crazy stuff. So yeah. VIOLENCE**

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Chapter 4

Garmadon woke up just as the sun peeked over the horizon and sat up, stretching his arms above his head. It was perfectly silent out here in the desert, except for the odd bird call here and there. He heard soft breathing and turned around to see Morro, who appeared to have fallen asleep leaning against the rock they had set up camp next to. He could kill him now. It wouldn't take long. He could just take his element with the staff, and, if that woke him up, he would be too tired to attack before being stabbed through the heart with the knife. Unfortunately, Garmadon was forced to scrap that plan as Morro stirred and blinked sleepily. Dang. With an internal sigh, Garmadon turned around and began digging through his pack for something to eat.

"How far are we from the caves?" he heard Morro's voice behind him and looked over his shoulder as he replied,

"Another fifteen miles or so. We should be there by..." Garmadon glanced at the faraway caves again. "...probably late morning."

"Good." Garmadon heard a soft hissing sound and turned around to see a tiny swirl of sand rising up from the desert floor into a small tornado. Morro was staring at it, one hand outstretched towards it as he controlled it. When he noticed he was being watched, the wind master let the sand drop back to the desert. "What?" he asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"I've never seen you use your powers before." Garmadon shrugged. "They are quite impressive."

"You think that was impressive?" Morro raised his hands above his head and the sand in front of him flew into the air, swirling around in an immense tornado. Garmadon watched in awe as the black-haired teenager rose into the air as well, hovering in the middle of the swirling sand. His powers were amazing. Suddenly, wind whipped around him as well and he rose up to Morro's level. " _This_ is impressive." Morro smirked at Garmadon's shocked expression. He let them hover there for a few moments more before the wind subsided and they dropped to the sand below. Garmadon coughed on the sand he had accidently inhaled and shook the the sand out of his hair.

"Wow." he said, sitting up and staring at Morro, who was smiling . "That was incredible. No wonder you're going to be the green ninja." The wind master seemed to like this praise, as his smile grew wider.

"Thank you." he sounded genuinely grateful, instead of the sarcastic, spiteful tone he used most of the time. Garmadon smoothed his windblown hair down and turned back to his backpack, pulling out part of a loaf of bread wrapped in a cloth. At least the food didn't have any sand in it. Unwrapping it, the dark lord broke the bread in half before tossing one piece to Morro, who caught it easily. They ate quickly so as not to waste time before packing up camp and continuing across the desert in the early morning sun.

Despair

Morro and Garmadon stood in front of the mouth of one of the caves, staring into the blackness in excited silence. Well, Morro was excited, anyway. He felt like jumping up and down, but such an act would be childish. He was nearly at the tomb! He was finally going to be the green ninja!

"So, which way do we go?" he asked, turning to Garmadon. The older man jumped.

"Uh..." he pointed straight ahead. "That way." Morro nodded as Garmadon started walking and the two headed into the cave. About twenty feet in, Garmadon paused and pulled off his backpack, digging around in it for a few moments before pulling out an iron lantern. He struck a match and lit the wick of the light, casting an orange glow on the cave walls. After shrugging his backpack back onto his shoulders, the two continued down the corridor. They navigated the tunnels for hours, Garmadon directing them at every fork. It wasn't long before Morro was hopelessly lost. He was glad that Garmadon knew which way to go.

"How much farther is it?" Morro asked after at least three hours.

"At LEAST another hour." Garmadon replied. He sounded annoyed.

"You sound upset." Morro remarked. "Are you lost?"

"No, I'm not. It's just... the smoke from this lantern keeps getting in my eyes." the older man blurted.

"Well, give it to me, then." without waiting for an answer, Morro took the lantern from Garmadon, holding it up so they could see the path ahead.

"It's about time we stopped to eat anyway." Garmadon said, setting the mysterious case he always carried down on the floor.

"Fine." Morro set down the lantern as Garmadon pulled some provisions out of his pack. "Why do you still have that case?" the wind master asked as Garmadon glanced up at him.

"I need it." was the reply.

"For what?"

"I'll show you." Garmadon smirked as he set the food back in his backpack and began to unlatch the case. Morro frowned as the older man's eyes flashed red. What was that about? He looked... evil. Garmadon opened the case and pulled out a tall, blue staff, almost as tall as he was, with a crystal mounted on the top. Morro stared at it for a few moments as Garmadon took a few steps towards him.

"What good is it?" the master of wind asked.

"Well, it does this, for one." Garmadon swung the staff forward, striking Morro in the head. Morro let out a cry of pain as he crashed to the ground. He opened his eyes to see the crystal begin to glow, and he felt a horrible feeling of weakness that made his body go limp. His eyes closed involuntarily and didn't open again.

Despair

Garmadon grinned triumphantly as Morro blacked out, the crystal in the staff glowing dull green. It worked. Now to find some way to trap the _former_ elemental master here. Garmadon turned around, examining the cave they were in. Well, it was more of a tunnel. The rocks looked a bit weak on one end, though. He walked over and tapped the rocks with the tip of the staff, jumping back in alarm as the ceiling broke and rocks filled the passage, effectively blocking it off. It was fortunate that that wasn't the way back. Garmadon turned around, since there was no way he or Morro was getting through there, and started on his way back through the tunnel. There was probably something he could do to trap Morro there farther down.

"You..." Garmadon startled at Morro's rage-filled voice. "...you took my powers..." The dark lord turned around to see Morro kneeling on the ground, his hands braced on the floor to support himself. He had woken up fast. "...how? Why?"

"How is easy. Magic staff." Garmadon smirked, letting the staff's bottom rest on the stone floor. "As for why? I needed to get rid of you. The green ninja is supposed to defeat the dark lord, isn't that right?" Morro looked up at him, his face dark with anger. He would look more menacing if he wasn't too weak to stand. "I AM that dark lord. Now that you're out of the way, the prophecy cannot be fulfilled."

"Out of the way?" Morro got to his feet, a smile slowly spreading over his face. "I wouldn't count on that." the teenager leapt forward, spinning around and kicking the startled Garmadon in the stomach, sending him flying against a wall. So much for not being able to stand. Garmadon jumped up as Morro attacked, barely dodging his first attack and slamming the staff into the boy's head again. Morro tumbled back, but didn't fall. He just got back up. Garmadon and Morro continued to fight, but, despite Garmadon's advantage of his size and the staff, Morro seemed to be winning. He was too good. If only he could manage to tap into the elemental powers of the staff... Garmadon ducked a kick from Morro and knocked him aside with the staff, granting him a few moments of peace. Closing his eyes, he focused on the power in the staff. But how to control it... Suddenly, he heard a startled shout from his opponent and opened his eyes just in time to see Morro fly across the tunnel and slam into the opposite wall. That worked. Morro snarled and stood back up.

"You just don't quit, do you?!" Garmadon grumbled, wind swirling around him. He sent the wind at Morro, but he missed, due to his inexperience in controlling it, and only managed to ruffle the boy's hair. Morro smirked,

"Never." and picked up a large rock from the floor. He flung it across the cave towards Garmadon, who was too focused on trying to control the wind to dodge it and it struck him in the side of the head, making him topple to the side. Garmadon put a hand to the wound on his head and it came back with blood on it. Not too much, though. He would survive. Looking up, he barely dodged another rock and quickly got to his feet in order to have more maneuverability. He had to slow Morro down somehow, long enough for him to trap him and escape. This was when those spells he learned from Clouse would come in handy. What were they? A spell for a fireball - he paused to dodge a rock – a spell to change the color of something, a spell to change someone's gender (definately not useful in this situation), and a spell to curse someone. Morro gave up on throwing rocks and grabbed one large enough to do damage before charging at Garmadon again. The dark lord swatted him away with the staff, but he came right back, swinging the rock at Garmadon's head. A fireball was just an attack spell, and two of those spells were useless, so – dodge – probably the spell for cursing someone would be the most useful. He wasn't sure what it did, but hopefully it would slow him down long enough for Garmadon to use a fireball to collapse the ceiling. That would either bury Morro or trap him, and either one was fine. Garmadon ducked another swing of the rock and kicked Morro in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him and making him drop to the ground for a few moments. Now was his chance. Dropping the staff, Garmadon began to chant slowly, directing the spell at the coughing boy on the floor. Dark blue smoke began to appear around his hands, floating around him for a few moments before suddenly flying at Morro, surrounding him in blue mist. Morro cried out, curling into a ball as the smoke was absorbed into him. So that's what it did. Garmadon backed away, grabbing the staff again and running down the tunnel out as Morro screamed. Turning around, the dark lord pointed his hand at the ceiling and chanted a quick spell. A ball of fire flew from his hand and slammed into the ceiling, making the caves shudder. A crack grew where the spell had struck and the tunnel rumbled again for a few moments before the ceiling collapsed and rocks tumbled down, filling the passage. Garmadon stumbled backwards as the rocks settled, staring at the dark rocks ahead of him for a few moments before picking up the lantern on the ground and one of the backpacks.

"Well." he said out loud. "That went well." he put the backpack on and set the staff back in its case, which he fortunately hadn't lost when he caused the collapse. He then picked up the lantern from the floor and started back the way he'd come. But, as he heard another scream from Morro, he couldn't shake the guilt that hung over him like a black fog. Despite the evil in his blood, he still didn't want to kill anyone. But Morro was going to die.

And it was his fault.

* * *

 **"Well."**

 **"That went well."**

 **~FFF**


	5. Chapter 5

**So yep. I updated this too. No review replies bc lazy.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Morro slowly opened his eyes to see the cave wall, lit with dark red light. He sat up and groaned. His body hurt so much that he didn't want to move. The adrenaline rush that he had survived the battle with was gone, and he noticed now that he was bleeding from various cuts and scratches, most of which were on his arms. Not only that, but inside he felt... cold. Like his heart was frozen. What had Garmadon _done_ to him?! How could he betray him like that? He trusted him... Morro looked around the cave to find that his worst fears were true. He was trapped. The only light came from a round, reddish hole near the center of the room, and Morro crawled over to it. It was warmer there. Shivering, the black-haired boy looked around the cave for any escape. There was nothing. Garmadon had blocked both the exits, and he had taken the food and the lantern. He could barely move his own body, let alone move the rocks blocking his exit. Tears welled up in his eyes and he didn't try to stop them as they ran down his face. He had failed. He wasn't the green ninja. He was going to die.

Despair

Garmadon exited the tunnels, blinking in the bright light of the morning sun. He had been in there almost a full day, he noted. That made him think of Morro again, and he felt another stab of guilt.

"Shut up, conscience." he muttered aloud. "I had to do that. He would have gotten in the way later." that didn't help. "Besides, Chen told me to." that didn't help either. With a sigh, Garmadon adjusted his backpack and started walking again. After a few moments, it occurred to him that he had been wounded in the fight and should probably tend to his wounds. Setting down the staff's case, he sat down on the rocky ground and brought his hand up to where Morro had hit him with the rock. He winced and pulled his hand away as a stab of pain went through his head. It was worse than he had thought. Fortunately, he had a bit of medical training from both his father and Chen, and had thought to bring bandages along with his other provisions. As he dug through his backpack for the roll of white cloth, his mind wandered to the spell he had cast. What did it do, other than knocking someone out? Closing his eyes for a moment, he thought back to when he had eavesdropped on Chen and Clouse when the latter was being taught the spell. It was dangerous, he remembered that. But what did it _do_? Curse, curse, cursed... Cursed Realm! That's right. The spell cursed the target's soul, making it so when they died, their spirit would go to the Cursed Realm and they would become a ghost. Oh great. So Morro wouldn't be _gone_ , just become a ghost. Garmadon wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing. It eased his conscience a bit, but Morro might one day come back to haunt him. Literally. The brown haired man finally located the bandages, and, pulling them out, began to wrap the wound on his head. What elemental master should he get next?

Despair

Sensei Wu stood outside his father's monastery, staring out into the distance as the sun began to rise. It was the seventh day since Morro had left. Every day, Wu would stand outside the open gates, hoping to see Morro walking up the stairs to the monastery. But the small hope in his heart was dying. Morro was proud, and he was convinced that he was the green ninja. There was little chance that he would return. As Wu was about to turn and go back inside, a cold wind swirled around the monastery, and the sun vanished behind a dark cloud. The flame of hope went out.

Despair

Morro sat against the wall of the cave, hugging his knees to his chest. He could hear his heart beating steadily in the stillness of the cave, but he was afraid that it wouldn't for long. He had no idea how long it had been since Garmadon had abandoned him there, but it had to have been eight or ten hours at least. Hunger was starting to slow him down, not that he was doing anything useful, but any food was in his backpack, which was beyond the rocks that trapped him here. Garmadon probably took it, anyway. He stared at the light in the center of the cave, the same thought pulsating repeatedly through his mind. _I am going to die_. The thought made him numb. He looked over to the far side of the cave, in the direction Garmadon had gone, and hissed into the darkness.

"Devious, betraying... "dark lord" fits him well." he muttered to himself. It helped a little to break the eerie silence, so he continued talking. "If I only I still had my powers... I would escape and get my revenge on him." he paused. "But I don't. I can't make him pay. I only hope someone else will." he sighed, tightening his arms around himself as his stomach growled again. Closing his eyes, he rested his head on his knees. There was no point in fighting sleep. In fact, he should probably just try to sleep as much as possible. He didn't hurt while he was asleep, after all. "I wonder if I'll ever wake up again..." he murmured almost inaudibly before slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

 **Fun**

 **~FFF**


	6. Chapter 6

**I HAVEN'T UPDATED THIS IN OVER 6 MONTHS**

 **HAHHA I'M TERRIBLE**

 **no review replies bc no one is going to remember these**

* * *

Chapter 6

Morro opened his eyes and blinked in the bright light. What happened? Where was he? Was he dead? Bracing his hands on the soft ground below him, he pushed himself upright into a sitting position. He was in a grassy field, in an unfamiliar place. Everything was kind of... green. There was a sort of green mist in the air, that changed the color of the sunlight and everything else. Even he was green. Wait. The master of wind looked down at himself. Not only was he green, but he could see through himself. Was he dreaming? Slowly, Morro got to his feet. His clothes were about the same as before, but tattered. Maybe that happened in the fight with Garmadon, and he just hadn't noticed. His wounds were gone as well, replaced by faint scars. He was like... a ghost. Was that right? He was green and could see through himself. That sounded like a ghost. Did people turn into ghosts when they die? Or, wait, maybe that spell Garmadon cast on him had something to do with this. The teenager glanced back and forth. There was no sign of anything he recognized. Was there anyone else here? There was only one way to find out, he supposed, starting to walk across the field. If there were, maybe they could tell him where in Ninjago he had ended up.

Despair

Garmadon walked away from the village as he beat the fire off of his clothes, replacing the staff in its case. That went fairly well. He had just successfully stolen another two elements, Time and Void. Three down, about a million to go.

"Garmadon!" the brown-haired man looked up in shock at the familiar voice to see none other than Clouse running towards him, a hood pulled over his head to hide his face.

"Clouse?" he exclaimed in surprise.

"Shut up!" the black-haired man snapped. "Don't give me away!" Garmaodn raised an eyebrow.

"What did you do this time?"

"Nothing. Just- Chen wants you back." The younger man thrust a scroll at him, and he unrolled it, skimming the thin papyrus.

 _"Garmadon,_

 _I'm afraid I will have to cut your mission short. A war has started between the humans and the serpentine, and you are needed back in Ninjago city. Come back as soon as Clouse gets this message to you._

 _-Chen"_

"Alright then." Garmadon rerolled the scroll, stowing it in his backpack. "Lead the way, then." As they started back towards the distant city, the young sorcerer cast a glance at the staff's case.

"How many powers did you collect?"

"Three so far. Wind, Void, and Time."

"Wind? I thought the Master of Wind was a friend of yours."

"I found a different one."

"Really? There's more than one?"

"I don't want to talk about it." The brown-haired man snapped, glaring at Clouse. The younger man tilted his head.

"What happened?"

"I said I didn't want to talk about it."

" _What happened?"_

"Why do you have to know?"

"I'm curious. Nothing bothers you, except when it has to do with your girlfriend. If you don't tell me, I'll tell Chen you're hiding something." Garmadon huffed angrily.

"Fine. The Master of Wind was a kid, and I killed him."

"Wow. That's going to go over well with your girlfriend."

"If you tell her, Clouse, I swear-" the dark lord hissed, and the younger sorcerer laughed.

"I won't. Tell me the rest."

"Fine." The olden man rolled his eyes with a sigh. "I lured him to the Caves of Despair and trapped him there. He must have starved to death by now. But I did get his element."

"Why?"

"Because Chen told me to, obviously."

"No, I mean, why kill him? Chen just said to take his powers."

"He knew too much."

"You spilled the beans?"

"I DID NOT! QUIT ACCUSING ME OF THINGS!" Garmadon snapped, whirling around to glare at him. Clouse stepped back, raising his hands to ward him off.

"Alright, alright, fine. I'll leave you to your brooding." The dark-haired sorcerer shrugged, turning away. "Did you set that town on fire?"

"Possibly."

"Why?"

"I needed a distraction to attack the masters of Void and Time. It wasn't a big fire, just a little one in an abandoned barn. The hay will burn and make a big flash, but it won't spread since there are no buildings nearby."

"Wouldn't want to kill anyone, right?" Clouse smirked at him.

"Are you mocking me?"

"Me? No. Of course not. I'm smarter than that." The younger man shrugged, turning away again. Garmadon sighed, glancing down at the staff in his hand.

"How did the war that Chen mentioned start?"

"He started it."

"Wait, what?" the dark lord frowned.

"Well, sort of. He arranged a meeting between the leaders of the humans and the leaders of the snakes, and he sort of… told them some things about each other before the meeting. Some less-than-true things."

"And you're _alright_ with this?"

"Hey, it doesn't affect me." Clouse shrugged. "I can continue with my training, life pretty much goes on. We just have planting strife along with our normal jobs."

"Wait, I'm confused. Why did he call me back?" Garmadon frowned again.

"To help us play the war."

"Why are we 'playing the war'? Why aren't we trying to stop it?"

"So we can benefit from it. If we wanted to stop it, we wouldn't have started it in the first place!"

"But… lives will be lost! Innocent people will be hurt!"

"Was the Master of Wind innocent?" Clouse turned to him, narrowing his eyes. "You killed him." Garmadon looked at the ground for a moment before lifting his head and meeting the younger man's eyes.

"He was one man. If this war continues, many people will be killed in senseless battles. Not just soldiers, but innocents as well."

"Don't talk to me about it, it wasn't my idea." Close shrugged, turning away. "Take it up with Chen."

"I will." Garmadon muttered, staring at the ground in front of them as they walked. What had come over Chen to start a war like this? What did he expect to get from this? As soon as he got back, he was going to have a talk with his sensei.

* * *

 **yey**

 **this is going to go on at least one more chapter btw**

 **we'll see how this goes**

 **~FFF**


	7. Chapter 7

**Didn't have anything else to do so I wrote another chapter**

 **TheAmberShadow: That would be... Abby's parents.**

 **MMM: NOBODY KNOWSSSSSSS**

 **Samantha: Nope. Just took a looooooooong break.**

 **For clarification, they're in a bar in the cursed realm. I couldn't find a way to clarify that in the chapter. :P**

* * *

Chapter 7

Morro stared at the counter in front of him, his head resting on his hand as he traced lines on the pale-green wood. Next to him, the older man watched him silently, waiting for a few moments before speaking up.

"You were wronged."

"That much is clear." The former wind master muttered.

"How were you sent here?"

"A man attacked me and cursed me. Then he trapped me in a cave and let me starve." Though he had only met the man a few minutes before, he saw no harm in being honest with him. It wasn't like his situation could get much worse.

"Do you plan to get revenge?"

"What?" Morro looked up at him with a frown. "How? There's no way out of the Cursed Realm. And even if there was, it was my fault. He killed me, but I was stupid enough to be in that situation in the first place."

"Hmm." Soul, which was how the man had introduced himself, shook his head. "Would you like an elixir?"

"A what?"

"Our version of beer or ale. It's not quite liquid, but it tastes about the same."

"I don't drink."

"Well none of us do, not anymore." Soul smirked and Morro rolled his eyes.

"You know what I meant."

"Do I?"

"Huh?"

"What did you mean when you said it was your fault? You were murdered. How could that be your fault?"

"I… it's a long story."

"It's rare to find any of those here. Tell me." Morro hesitated.

"…fine." He said at last. "I was raised by a man named Sensei Wu. He told me that I might be one spoke of in prophecies, the Green Ninja. Eventually, we discovered that I wasn't, but I refused to believe it. I left to try to prove myself by finding the tomb of the creator of Ninjago, and the man who killed me, Garmadon, claimed to know where it was. Like a fool, I followed him." The black-haired boy clenched his hands into fists, hating the way he could barely feel them. "He trapped me in a cave, stole my elemental power, and cursed me. Then he fled."

"You're an elemental master?" Soul raised an eyebrow.

"Of wind. Yes."

"How could that be your fault?" The masked man shook his head. "Not only are- well, were- you an elemental master, but I can tell by your body that you're physically strong as well. You clearly trained for years."

"…yes."

"So why shouldn't you be the Green Ninja? You are obviously worthy of it."

"Does it matter? You said nothing can escape the Cursed Realm."

"There are ways. Not by our power, but those in other realms can open a portal here. If we were to find one open, we could cross through."

"Even if I could, I don't have my powers! That's over half of my ability!"

"How did he take your powers?"

"With a staff. An enchanted staff."

"So break it. If magic is stored in a vessel, break the vessel and you free the magic."

"But I deserve to be here. I thought I could be something I'm not and-"

"Who said you're not the Green Ninja?"

"My Sensei."

"Is he omniscient?"

"…no. But he brought me to the Golden Weapons and they didn't react, I can't-"

"Is there anyone better than you?" Soul interrupted again.

"What?"

"Is there anyone better than you? Is there anyone with more power, more ability, more strength than you?"

"I… not that I know of."

"Then how could anyone else be the Green Ninja?"

"I- maybe they haven't been trained yet."

"Are you making excuses?" the older man narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"I don't want to give myself false hope again!" Morro snapped. "I can't- I can't do this again! I'll just get something worse happened to me!"

"Kill the man who killed you."

"Wh- what?"

"Kill him. He is a murderer; he deserves to die. Even if you refuse to believe you're the Green Ninja, at least get revenge on your killer."

"But that would make me a murderer!"

"No, it would make you a hero. Who knows how many this man has killed already? Stop him, and you'll be a hero."

"What makes you think he killed others at all? He had some sort of special grudge against me. Something about how I was the Green Ninja, that affected him somehow."

"And maybe he was just making excuses." Soul smirked under his mask. "Who's to say he doesn't have a 'special grudge' against everyone he murders in cold blood?"

"I…"  
"And your Sensei. He was the one who told you that you were the Green Ninja in the first place. Maybe you're right, and you're not the Green Ninja. If that's so, then it was his fault for giving you false hope. He was the reason you left, the reason that man was about to trick you into letting him kill you. He should die as well."

"What?! No! Wu was like a father to me!"

"Would a father have done that to you?" Morro hesitated.

"I... no."

"He deserves to die as much as the man who killed you. He was involved in it too. Ghosts are immortal. If they still live by the time you get out, kill them like they killed you."

"I won't." the black-haired boy snapped. "I won't kill Sensei. Garmadon, maybe. But I won't kill Wu."

"Then he will kill you." Soul stood up, taking his 'drink', and walking away. Morro stared after him for a moment, then sighed, resting his head on the wooden counter. It was going to be a long eternal imprisonment.

* * *

 **This is one of my favorite headcanons, that Soul Archer manipulated Morro into being evil. Because... y'know... I want to believe Morro is totally innocent... haha... anyway. In Curse World (don't remember which part), Soul Archer said, "Don't worry, Morro. Soon you will be the Green Ninja" and "You're invincible, Morro". Idk if anyone else noticed this, but that sounds to me like a second-in-command that's trying to take over. I think that was his plan all along, use Morro to take over, then beat him somehow and take control.**

 **~FFF**


	8. Chapter 8

**Anyone remember this story? No? Cool.**

 **Review replies:**

 **TheAmberShadow: xD Thanks!**

 **Samantha: Nope :3**

 **Mayor of Ninjago City: Morro's voice is the best. :D**

* * *

Chapter 8

"You can't do this!" Garmadon snapped. "This is madness! You're starting an entire war for your own gain?!"

"Why not?" Chen raised an eyebrow.

"Hundreds- _thousands_ of innocent people will be killed! And for what?!"

"Why should I care? That's none of my business." Garmadon just gaped at him. "In this world, you have to look out for yourself, not others." His sensei said with a shrug.

"But you're _killing people!_ "

"Who cares?" Garmadon blinked.

"I'm leaving."

"What?" Chen frowned.

"I said I'm leaving. I refuse to help you in this- this insane plot."

"It's not insane! Insane would be leaving when together we can have it all!" His sensei threw his hands up in the air. "This will work! All I have to do is play both sides until they've killed each other off, then we can step in and take control of the whole world!"

"Do you have no sense of morals?!" Garmadon demanded. "Don't you care what you're doing to people?!"

"No. No I don't. And I know that you don't either." Chen jabbed him in the chest with his finger. "Or have you already forgotten the Master of Wind?" The brunette stepped back in alarm. Clouse must have told him.

"That was _one_ man." He sputtered after a moment. "And he might've gotten in the way later. He was an elemental master. _These_ are innocents with no powers, who can barely fight."

"Blah, blah, blah." Chen turned away. "I don't care."

"Then I'm leaving."

"Fine! Go! Then die in my war with your pathetic brother!" Garmadon paused. He hadn't actually considered going to help the other side. But there was no reason he shouldn't. Besides, Misako was there. He felt a pang of fear at the thought of her finding out what he had done to Morro. Not to mention the letter…

"Good idea." He said at last. "But I won't die. I'll fight you, and I'll _win._ " With that, he spun around and left the room. He heard Chen scoff behind him, but didn't turn back. Grabbing his bag and his staff, he walked straight out of the temple. He had no need to pack, since he had just returned from a trip and all his belongings were already in his backpack. A glance over his shoulder revealed Chen standing in the doorway, watching him leave. He might regret this decision later. But probably not. Chen's plan was mad. There was no way he could go along with this. Clutching his staff tighter, he headed off down the path towards the setting sun.

Despair

Morro knelt in front of the monster in front of him, staring at the ground as he fought to keep his body from shaking. This creature… the… "Preeminent", he thought Soul Archer had called it, was silent, the sound of its uncanny breathing being the only sound in the huge cavern.

 _"So you wish for revenge."_ Morro startled at the sound of a feminine voice in his head, almost losing his balance.

"I…" he started uncertainly out loud. "…yes."

 _"On whom?"_

"The man who killed me." The ghost boy replied, his voice more confident now.

 _"…Garmadon."_ He jumped again.

"How did you know that?"

 _"The same way I am speaking directly to your mind."_ The creature replied. _"I can read your thoughts."_

"Oh…" Should he be speaking out loud, then?

 _"Yes."_

"Oh." Did she know everything about him? What was this creature, anyway?!

 _"I am the Preeminent, the heart of the Cursed Realm. Without me, you would be in the Departed Realm instead of having a second chance here."_ Oh. _"You were sent here to pledge your loyalty to me."_

"Yes." Soul Archer had directed him here after he had asked the older ghost for help. With all his talk of revenge, he had convinced the wind master- well, the ex-wind master – to try. The archer had told him to find the Preeminent, who would help him. He hadn't warned her she would look like _this_ , though. Oops- he hoped she wasn't reading his thoughts when he said – thought? – that. The sooner he got out of here the better, this was too confusing for him.

 _"You are well-trained in the art of fighting. What know you of battle?"_ The Preeminent's voice formed in his mind again.

"Uh… what do you mean?"

 _"Wars. Strategy."_ Wu had taught him lots of strategy, many of the stories he had been told when he was younger were of wars fought before he was born.

"I think I know a lot."

 _"Good. You're in charge, then."_

"Wh- what?"

 _"I am in need of a general to lead my armies into Ninjago. My subjects here are hundreds in number, but they know nothing of fighting. Someone must lead them."_

"And you want me to do… what, exactly?"

 _"You will rule over every ghost in the Cursed Realm, second only to me. You will take the ghosts here and turn them into an unstoppable army, then, when the time is right, bring them and me into Ninjago. Together, we will take control of not only Ninjago, but the other fourteen Realms as well."_

"Other fourteen…?"

 _"Now is not the time to explain. Will you take me up on my offer?"_

"Yes, of course." He readily agreed. He couldn't think of anything much better than having an entire realm of ghosts under his command. "But how can we get to Ninjago? Soul Archer told me there was no way out of the Cursed Realm."

 _"There are ways. And I can see that you will escape. Not soon, but you will escape."_ She could see the future? _"In Ninjago, there exists an artifact known as the Realm Crystal. It can create a portal to any Realm, almost instantly. It is the only object powerful enough to bring me to Ninjago."_

"Where is it?"

 _"In the tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master."_

"The tomb of the…" Morro trailed off, his eyes widening. He could kill two birds with one stone. Find the tomb, proving himself to Sensei, and get the Realm Crystal to free the Preeminent.

 _"You have other motives to find the tomb."_ The Preeminent remarked.

"Yeah."

 _"The Realm Crystal comes first. You agreed to my deal. You belong to me now."_ That was a… mildly disturbing way of putting it. But she was right. _"Now go back to the others. I will inform them that you are their new leader."_

"Alright." Morro got to his feet, keeping his head bowed. As the Preeminent said nothing more, he turned and left the cave. As soon as he was out of sight of the cave, he let out a whoop, pumping his fist in the air. He had been here two days, and he was already… well, basically king, of the entire realm.

Maybe being here wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

 **I feel sorry for him. He's so happy for once. It can't last long, though.**

 **~FFF**


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